This invention relates to equipment that can be used in the drilling and completion of wellbores in an underground formation and in the production of fluids from such wells, and particularly to connection systems for connecting a variety of tubulars used in wellbores.
Fluids such as oil, natural gas and water are obtained from a subterranean geologic formation (a xe2x80x9creservoirxe2x80x9d) by drilling a well that penetrates the fluid-bearing formation. Once the well has been drilled to a certain depth the borehole wall must be supported to prevent collapse. Conventional well drilling methods involve the installation of a casing string and cementing between the casing and the borehole to provide support for the borehole structure.
Within the casing or within the open wellbore, a variety of tubular components are utilized in, for example, preparation and servicing of the well and for the production of wellbore fluids. In some applications, the use of expandable tubulars is becoming more desirable. In such applications, a tubular component is moved downhole and then expanded at a desired location within the wellbore. With these types of tubulars in particular, the connection of one tubular to another becomes difficult. Connectors or connection systems designed for conventional tubulars do not readily adapt to tubular members that are expanded.
The present invention is directed to overcoming, or at least reducing the effects of one or more of the problems set forth above, and can be useful in other applications as well.
According to one aspect of the present invention, a technique is provided for connecting tubulars, such as those used within a wellbore. The technique is particularly amenable to use with expandable tubulars. The technique allows such expandable tubulars to be connected and yet expanded as desired. Certain connectors utilized with this technique are particularly helpful in connecting tubulars formed of bistable cells that facilitate expansion of the tubular from a contracted stable state to an expanded stable state.